PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joshua Shouse (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marlon Toepoke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Shouse
vs
Toepoke

162 cm
25
116 lbs
18 - 19 - 0

225 cm
25
140 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joshua Shouse !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Marlon Toepoke!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Frank Dennis and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Toepoke forces Shouse back against the cage and clinches.
Shouse is trying to push Toepoke away but Toepoke has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Toepoke pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Toepoke walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Shouse misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Toepoke.

Toepoke is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Shouse 's half guard.
Toepoke is trying to control the action in half guard but Shouse is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shouse tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Toepoke has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Toepoke takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Toepoke tries to control but Shouse wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toepoke landing shots from mount.
Shouse tries to hold on but Toepoke pushes him away.
Poor strikes thrown by Toepoke there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!

Toepoke is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Shouse is surviving well by controlling Toepoke's body position as best he can.
Toepoke tries to control but Shouse wriggling away.
Shouse is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Shouse is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Toepoke sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Shouse slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Toepoke tries to pass to full mount but Shouse defends it.
Ground and pound from Toepoke.
Toepoke trying to control from half guard but Shouse is working away.
Toepoke content to control rather than advance.

Toepoke is trying to work for a kimura but Shouse is defending well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Toepoke is working for a kimura but Shouse is defending it quite comfortably.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shouse kicks Toepoke off and gets back to his feet.
Toepoke tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Shouse gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Shouse looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Toepoke drags the fight down to the ground.
Toepoke can't keep his opponent in guard - Shouse advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Toepoke wants to control but Shouse is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toepoke wants to get back to full guard.
Toepoke controlling the position well.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Marlon Toepoke was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Shouse closes the distance and pushes Toepoke back into the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shouse is looking for a takedown.
Shouse is trying to pull guard but Toepoke has him pressed against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Shouse breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marlon Toepoke dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Shouse misses with a series of wild punches.
Shouse keeps the fight on the outside.

Shouse moves into range and clinches up with Toepoke.
Toepoke is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Toepoke breaks the clinch.
Joshua Shouse is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Toepoke feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Shouse keeping moving, preventing Toepoke from controlling successfully.

Shouse had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Toepoke defends it easily.
Shouse on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Shouse tries to get out of the position.
Toepoke trying to control but Shouse is working from the bottom.
Marlon Toepoke has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toepoke trying to stand up but can't free himself from Shouse 's guard.
Shouse keeping full guard, as Toepoke tries to pass.
Toepoke tries to stand but Shouse is controlling from the bottom.
Shouse trying to strike off his back.
Shouse wants to sweep here but Toepoke controlling him for the moment.
Toepoke slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Marlon Toepoke has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Toepoke fails with a takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Shouse or perhaps it was just good defense by Toepoke which made him look bad.
Shouse leaves Toepoke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Joshua Shouse has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marlon Toepoke.
Toepoke has his takedown stuffed

and Shouse counters by moving into the clinch.
Toepoke wants a takedown.
Toepoke is breathing heavily.

Shouse breaks the clinch.

Shouse fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Toepoke, pushing him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toepoke prevents a body shot from Shouse .

Shouse pulls guard.

Shouse is looking for a triangle but Toepoke pushes his legs off easily.
Toepoke is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Shouse looking to hit a scissor sweep but Toepoke is one step ahead there.
Shouse wants to stand but Toepoke is controlling the position.
Toepoke slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toepoke trying to control but Shouse is working from the bottom.
Shouse is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Marlon Toepoke.
Shouse misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Toepoke.
Toepoke shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Shouse as he avoids it easily.

Shouse scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Shouse sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Toepoke defending well though.
Shouse takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Toepoke manages to get to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Joshua Shouse will probably get the nod.
That's time! Shouse 's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Shouse circles away from the clinch attempt.
Shouse fails with the takedown.
Shouse doesn't manage to clinch there - Toepoke circles away.
Shouse shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Toepoke as he avoids it easily.
No luck for Toepoke with that takedown attempt.
Toepoke misses with a head kick.
Toepoke blocks a head kick by Shouse .
Toepoke wants to clinch but Shouse slips to the side

and Shouse counters with a shoot takedown. Toepoke fights it but they end up in guard.
Toepoke is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shouse stands up over Toepoke, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Shouse wants to control from the top but Toepoke keeps moving.
Shouse cracks Toepoke with a solid left hand.
Toepoke being controlled here, momentarily.
Toepoke is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Toepoke keeping moving, preventing Shouse from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shouse slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Joshua Shouse just wasn't active enough.
Toepoke fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Shouse has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Toepoke is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Shouse doesn't manage to clinch there - Toepoke circles away.
Toepoke shoots in but no luck this time.

Shouse clinches up against the cage.
Toepoke wants to take the fight to the mat but Shouse manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Joshua Shouse has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marlon Toepoke.
Shouse is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shouse struggles to land a body shot inside as Toepoke controls his hands.
Shouse tries to pull guard but Toepoke won't allow it.
Shouse is trying to break the clinch but Toepoke has him pressed against the cage.
Shouse prevents Toepoke from breaking the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Toepoke jumps guard and drags Shouse to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Shouse trying to control but Toepoke is working from the bottom.
Shouse sitting in guard here, content to control.
Shouse trying to control but Toepoke is working from the bottom.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Toepoke looking for a sweep. Not yet Toepoke, not yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Joshua Shouse wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Shouse drives through and clinches with Toepoke against the cage.
Toepoke is trying to push Shouse away but Shouse has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Toepoke lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Shouse drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Shouse manages to pull guard.

Shouse throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Shouse is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Toepoke is aware though and is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joshua Shouse showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Shouse has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joshua Shouse !